CHOMP! Maximo's back

After a stint in rehab, the Alligator Farm's star attraction is performing again

TIFFANY PAKKALAtiffany.pakkala@staugustine.com

Published Monday, June 04, 2007

Call him the comeback croc.

After months of refusing to perform for his food, Maximo, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm's 1,250-pound crocodile, is following his old routine step-for-step.

He was limited to private feedings during the past four months of retraining sessions, but on Wednesday the Australian saltwater croc strutted onto his beach and devoured a snack of rodents just a few feet from the viewing glass, where spectators crowded to watch. Then he returned to his wading pool and thrust himself up with his front legs to snatch a second snack hung several feet above his head.

Clearly pleased, Senior Reptile Keeper Kevin Torregrosa offered him "dessert" and rewarded him one more rodent, which the croc jumped again to retrieve.

The 15-foot-3 reptile seemed like a different croc than the one that staged a standoff with his keepers in February. During one of his feedings that month, he suddenly stopped the exercises he had done for the past three years, refusing to get out of his water.

"He was testing us to see if we would feed him anyway," Torregrosa explained.

That put keepers in an awkward position. They had to choose between leaving spectators disappointed or feeding -- and thus rewarding -- the uncooperative croc.

There was more than entertainment at stake. The strain it takes to pull his heavy body out of the water keeps Maximo in shape. Without that workout twice a week, he would be prone to the obesity typical of crocodiles his size.

At first, Maximo got away with his bad behavior and became more of a diva than a crocodile. He ignored anything that wasn't placed directly above his head. Keepers dragged his meals on his beach and even dipped them in his water, but he wouldn't budge.

Rather than continuing to give in, Torregrosa decided to cancel the show and feed the crocodile privately. When Maximo refused to perform, the keeper refused to feed him. It didn't take long for the croc to catch on.

"He knew what he was supposed to do the whole time. Once he realized he wasn't going to get away with it, he went back to doing what he was supposed to," Torregrosa said.

The reptile keeper can't say whether the croc's weight changed during the standoff. It's no easy task to catch and weigh a reptile that's as heavy as an adult cow and has a bite strength of about 3,000 pounds per square inch.

But Torregrosa said Maximo was never left starving for a meal. Crocodiles get a lot of their energy from sunlight, so they can go months without eating. And Maximo had a choice of five pounds of meat a week -- as long as he followed the routine.

After the croc repeatedly cooperated and followed the steps in his workout, the reptile keeper decided the public feedings could resume once a week. But the second feeding Maximo has each week will be kept private so his training can continue.

Maximo's vital statistics:

Born: 1971

Length: 15 feet, 3 inches

Weight: 1,250 lbs.

Diet: About 5 lbs. of meat each week

Life expectancy: He could live to be between 60 and 80 years old

FYI: To see Maximo's show for yourself, his public feedings are always 3 p.m. Sundays at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.

"We've always done some training with him, but we got more serious about it after he started slacking," Torregrosa said as he walked across a dock above Maximo's pool.

Looking up from his water, the crocodile, who had just eaten several rodents, spotted the food bucket Torregrosa carried. He positioned himself beneath it, then swam along the dock as Torregrosa moved it to the other side.

The keeper shook his head, set down the bucket and walked away. The crocodile stayed where he was, watching the bucket and waiting for his next chance to perform.